Downed power lines close Northwest Hwy. for hours

February 13, 2007

Motorists experienced major delays in the northwest suburbs Monday after downed high-voltage power lines forced the closing of Northwest Highway through downtown Des Plaines and other nearby roads, police said.

Northwest Highway (U.S. Highway 14) was closed for about 7 1/2 hours while the lines stretched across the street, into the parking lots of businesses and, at one point, over a Metra track, police said.

Around 1 p.m., six power lines "blew off a pole" in the 500 block of East Northwest Highway, forcing authorities to close the road from Graceland Avenue to State Street, said Des Plaines Police Cmdr. Rich Rozkuszka. No one was injured, he said.

Rozkuszka said it was not known what caused the lines to break. "It may be weather-related," he said, adding that it was not caused by a traffic accident.

About a block of businesses along Northwest Highway had to be evacuated because power lines had landed in parking lots, and several businesses and houses had lost power, Rozkuszka said.

The downed line that crossed the Metra track was cleared in about an hour, Rozkuszka said. No trains were delayed, he said.

Parts of Golf and Wolf Roads near Northwest Highway also were closed, Rozkuszka said.